Elections 2018

Opinion

Pakistan Army Chief in Kabul for Defence Conference

Army chiefs from at least four countries along with US commanders will meet Tuesday to discuss the fight against terrorism.

Pakistan’s army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has arrived in Kabul to attend a Chief of Defense Conference, the Afghan Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed on Tuesday.

The United States Central Command commander Joseph Votel, Commander Resolute Support Mission John Nicholson and Afghan Army Chief Mohammad Sharif Yaftali are also attending.

At the meeting, the army chiefs, representatives of the armies of central Asian countries, the Afghan government and NATO officials will discuss the fight against insurgency and also increasing of military cooperation between the countries, according to Afghan officials.

In the sidelines of the meeting, army chiefs of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan will meet with President Ashraf Ghani at the Presidential Palace and will discuss increasing of cooperation between these countries.

Recently, these central Asian countries indicated they would be willing to cooperate with Afghanistan in the peace process, the fight against insurgency and drug production and trafficking.

Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have both in the past shown concern over insurgent activities in the north of Afghanistan. But NATO officials said they have started fighting insurgents in the north of Afghanistan.

The US military says it carried out a series of punishing bombings last weekend against Taliban militant camps that also support a separatist Chinese terror group.

A bombing raid last Sunday on a region bordering China and Tajikistan set a record for the number of precision-guided munitions launched at one time from a B-52 bomber, according to Air Force Maj. Gen. James Hecker last week.

NBC reported the B-52 — a Cold War workhorse — had recently been modified to carry more munitions, the military said in a statement.

The camps in remote Badakhshan province supported Taliban operations within Afghanistan and by the East Turkestan Islamic Movement — set up by members of China's minority Uighur community — on the border region with China and Tajikistan, the military said.

Pakistan Army Chief in Kabul for Defence Conference

Army chiefs from at least four countries along with US commanders will meet Tuesday to discuss the fight against terrorism.

Pakistan’s army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has arrived in Kabul to attend a Chief of Defense Conference, the Afghan Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed on Tuesday.

The United States Central Command commander Joseph Votel, Commander Resolute Support Mission John Nicholson and Afghan Army Chief Mohammad Sharif Yaftali are also attending.

At the meeting, the army chiefs, representatives of the armies of central Asian countries, the Afghan government and NATO officials will discuss the fight against insurgency and also increasing of military cooperation between the countries, according to Afghan officials.

In the sidelines of the meeting, army chiefs of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan will meet with President Ashraf Ghani at the Presidential Palace and will discuss increasing of cooperation between these countries.

Recently, these central Asian countries indicated they would be willing to cooperate with Afghanistan in the peace process, the fight against insurgency and drug production and trafficking.

Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have both in the past shown concern over insurgent activities in the north of Afghanistan. But NATO officials said they have started fighting insurgents in the north of Afghanistan.

The US military says it carried out a series of punishing bombings last weekend against Taliban militant camps that also support a separatist Chinese terror group.

A bombing raid last Sunday on a region bordering China and Tajikistan set a record for the number of precision-guided munitions launched at one time from a B-52 bomber, according to Air Force Maj. Gen. James Hecker last week.

NBC reported the B-52 — a Cold War workhorse — had recently been modified to carry more munitions, the military said in a statement.

The camps in remote Badakhshan province supported Taliban operations within Afghanistan and by the East Turkestan Islamic Movement — set up by members of China's minority Uighur community — on the border region with China and Tajikistan, the military said.